Category: Summer in the Mountains

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A mysterious skier who has resurfaced from the Matterhorn Ice has been identified thanks to Facebook.

Monte Cervino/Matterhorn, where Henri Joseph Leonce Le Masne was recovered and finally identified thanks to Facebook.

Story from Corriere de la Sera. – A mysterious skier who has resurfaced from the Matterhorn Ice has been identified, thanks to Facebook. He has disappeared in March of ’54: he was called Henri Joseph Leonce Le Masne, a 35-year-old Frenchman. He was identified with a DNA test. His niece Emma, who lives in Paris, replied to the Italian police’s Facebook appeal

The skis that were recovered with the Ice man that came from the cold.
The skis that were recovered with the Ice man that came from the cold.

There is a woman, Emma Nassem, who is driving through the streets of Paris; it is the beginning of July, a month ago. Suddenly the radio hears about a strange cold case, an almost impossible mission attempted by the Italian police, which on its most popular Facebook page, Agent Lisa, launched an appeal on June 29: “Help us to give a face and a name to the skier found in 2005, at 3,100 meters above sea level, on the Matterhorn, in Valle D’Aosta ». Here, we will say, what are the social media: a post that in a few hours becomes viral made the record of shares and rebounds throughout Europe.

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Planning your summer holiday in the mountains and beach – our next trip

The view from the top of the Skyway Monte Bianco - Punta Hellbronner- Amazing rotating gondola that takes you up to the highest point in Italy to see the Mont Blanc and all the surrounding mountains. Photo: The-Ski-Guru.

The summer holidays are coming upon us and I am counting the days to leave this hot city and have some days off. I have been planning this summer holiday for at least half an year and cannot believe it is finally coming! We will be going to the mountains and the beach in one trip, to please all the members of the family.  Even though I will be having a couple of meetings here and there, it is still time to spend with the family and enjoy being and playing outside.

I love planning where we are going to go each year. For winter we always go to the Alps driving, and we have done already 5 years of going to Pila, just up from Aosta, one going to Madonna di Campiglio and one adding Courmayeur to the end of our stay in Aosta/Pila. We always travel by car, as we take all our equipment with us, and we are well positioned in SE London to get to Folkestone for the Eurotunnel station.

Start of the trip at the Eurotunnel - can't wait! Photo by The-Ski-Guru.
Start of the trip at the Eurotunnel – can’t wait! Photo by The-Ski-Guru.

Summer is not different. I find that purchasing flights for the family during the kids’ school holidays is very expensive, plus I do love our road trips. So off we’ll be going soon to Folkestone to board the Eurotunnel and get into another adventure.


One thing to remember is to get the car lights stickers that are obligatory for UK cars driving in the Continent, so you do not blind the cars coming the other way, the yellow vests per each person in the car, a triangle and I am not sure if the breathalysers are still requested in France. It was the case, then I’ve read that it was not the case anymore – just check online before travelling just in case! Have all these things inside the car, reachable if you are stopped by the police, not in your car boot, as you could be fined if you need to get out to get them!

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Feds take charge of Lake Christine Fire, but it likely will burn for weeks

Lake Christine Fire Forces Evacuation near Basalt. KDNK

Fire crews descend on Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado, as fire spreads to 5,263 acres- Lake Christine Fire.

Report republished from the Aspen Times, from Scott Condon – Federal resources are pouring into the mid-Roaring Fork Valley to take command of the battle to corral the Lake Christine Fire after local firefighters saved hundreds of homes during a “chaotic” period.

“Today was a good day. We got some resources in,” said Keith Brink, operations section chief for the Northern Rockies Incident Command team, which took control of the firefighting effort at 6 a.m. Thursday.

Those resources include one hotshot team already on the fire lines and another arriving Friday. Brink called them “the elite of the elite.”

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - JUNE 13: Global SuperTanker Services LLC's B747-400 firefighting Supertanker, the worldÕs largest firefighting plane sitting on the tarmac in Colorado Springs June 13, 2018. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – JUNE 13: Global SuperTanker Services LLC’s B747-400 firefighting Supertanker, the worldÕs largest firefighting plane sitting on the tarmac in Colorado Springs June 13, 2018. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)

All told, there will be between 300 and 400 federal and local firefighters battling the blaze by the weekend, according to incident commander Mike Almus.

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Verbier Summer News- Read the summer news to plan your holiday to Verbier!

The Verbier Bike Park and its trails of VTT and Downhill. Photographer: KifCat. Verbier Promotion.

Verbier Summer News: Verbier is starting its summer season with lots of news for making your holiday unforgettable.

The Verbier Infinite Pass or VIP Pass comes with any lodging where you pay the tourist tax at Verbier or Val de Bagnes, and allows you access throughout the resort and surrounding areas. This pass is valid from 4th June till 28th October 2018.


What is new for Summer 2018:

  • Free mountain lifts (pedestrian pass) until the top of Mont-Fort, of 3,330 meters.
  • 50% off bike lift pass for bikers
  • 50% off the pitch and putt golf course and 30% off the course at Les Esserts (par 69)
  • 50% off the aerial walkway
  • 1 free admission to one of the secret concerts at the Verbier Festival
  • Free Indoor swimming pool in Mondzeu.
Verbier is one of the well known destinations for biking, with 7 trails of different difficulty. Photo by Céline Ribordy - Verbier Promotion.
Verbier is one of the well known destinations for biking, with 7 trails of different difficulty. Photo by Céline Ribordy – Verbier Promotion.

What is new in terms of lodging and restaurants.

Vie Montagne: located in the centre of the resort, it has a gourmet restaurant and also a new micro-brewery. The site also offers a magnificent view of the mountains. For groups of up to 20 people.

More information

For more information on summer in Verbier (more actualised to summer 2021), check this post! 

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Trentino offers over 8,000 km of biking trails and eight parks for downhill biking

San Martino di Castrozza - Passo Rolle - Tognola - San Martino Bike Arena Fototeca Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A. - FOTO DI Roberto Bragotto. San Martino di Castrozza - Passo Rolle - Tognola - San Martino Bike Arena Fototeca Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A. - FOTO DI Roberto Bragotto. Trentino offers 8,000 kilometres of biking trails and eight downhill bike parks.

Trentino has over 8,000 km of biking trials and eight bike parks for downhill biking. If you are thinking where to have your new biking adventure, don’t look somewhere else; Trentino is the place to be. Keep on reading to see why I state this.

There are thousands of mapped and marked kilometres of tracks for bikers of all levels, including families, experts and even 8 adrenaline active bike parks. From cross-country, endure and downhill, the new craze in Trentino is to explore the mountains on two wheels.

Tonadico - Dolomiti Pale di San Martino - Rifugio Pradidali. Fototeca Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A. - FOTO DI Tommaso Forin. Trentino offers over 8,000 kilometres of biking trails and 8 downhill bike parks.
Tonadico – Dolomiti Pale di San Martino – Rifugio Pradidali. Fototeca Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A. – FOTO DI Tommaso Forin. Trentino offers over 8,000 kilometres of biking trails and 8 downhill bike parks.

All the area is ready to receive the bike aficionados, with rentals and service centers, to e-bikes, recharging stations, downhill routes served by lifts, special dedicated bike accommodations, MTB guides and shuttle buses for transfers or to return to base with an amazing food and wine experience to provide the best bike holiday. The most demanding bikers in the world choose Trentino for its spectacular scenery, bike tracks and the top-notch services.



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There are defined different areas in Trentino where to choose for a cycling holiday.

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Jungfrau V-bahn railway project gets green light overcoming opposition

Jungfrau v-bahn railway project gets green light.

The controversial Jungfrau V-bahn railway project gets green light overcoming opposition.

The Federal Office of Transport has approved a CHF400 million ($405 million) mountain railway project that will carry tourists faster up to the Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Alps. The project has been modified to appease local opponents who had raised environmental and aesthetic concerns.

At the heart of the controversial plan is a V-shaped cable car route that would allow more tourists to swiftly reach the Eiger Glacier station from where they can take the mountain railways to the Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe” tourist station.

Photomontage of the possible new situation in the ground in Grindelwald. Left the new Männlichenbahn, right the Eiger Express and the parking garage. Both planned new buildings are marketed under the name V project
Photomontage of the possible new situation in the ground in Grindelwald. Left the new Männlichenbahn, right the Eiger Express and the parking garage. Both planned new buildings are marketed under the name V project.

Local authorities and residents of the Bernese Alps feared the “Eiger express” line, which would start from the village of Grindelwald, would disfigure the landscape. Seventeen objections were made but advocates gave up the fight in February accepting in exchange a donation for a good cause.

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Spot on St Anton am Arlberg in summer: Just the way summers should be

On the 150 kilometers of the "Arlberg Giro" cycle race from St. Anton via Bludenz, the Montafon, the Silvretta and back, the athletes overcome 2,500 vertical meters Photo credit: TVB St. Anton am Arlberg / photographer Patrick Säly

St. Anton am Arlberg: Revitalise, be dynamic and discover pastures new:
Just the way summers should be.

Many people know St. Anton am Arlberg as a world famous winter sports destination. But when temperatures start to climb, St. Anton am Arlberg reveals its multifaceted summer life – where visitors can experience the birthplace of alpine skiing, as an original mountain village. This is the time to discover the hidden treasures of this holiday destination, get better acquainted with the mountain lodge hosts and immerse yourself in the pristine natural landscapes. A Tyrolean alpine setting and the perfect stage for a whole host of sporting events. For example, those seeking an adrenalin rush will find it at the ”Arlberg Adler“ mountain triathlon and “ARLBERG-Giro“, while more peace-loving guests will find their inner selves at the „Mountain Yoga Festival“. The spotlight is on the extended Verwalltal Valley during summer 2018.www.stantonamarlberg.com

 

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GOTTHARD TAILBACKS: San Bernardino Alpine tunnel closure causes major holiday traffic disruption

Gothard tunnel traffic - Uri Bilder- GOTTHARD TAILBACKS: Alpine tunnel closure causes major holiday traffic disruption

Gotthard Tailbacks: Alpine San Bernardino tunnel closure causes major holiday traffic disruption. 

Traffic queues of up to 28 kilometres were reported at the northern entrance to the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday, owing to a long weekend and the closure of another major Alpine road tunnel because of a fire.

San Bernardino tunnel at the east of Switzerland was closed due to a fire, which brought massive queues at the Gotthard tunnel this past weekend. GOTTHARD TAILBACKS: Alpine tunnel closure causes major holiday traffic disruption.
San Bernardino tunnel at the east of Switzerland was closed due to a fire, which brought massive queues at the Gotthard tunnel this past weekend. GOTTHARD TAILBACKS: San Bernardino Alpine tunnel closure causes major holiday traffic disruption.

Saturday has seen the longest tailbacks at the Gotthard tunnel since Pentecost 1999, entailing waits of some five-hours.

As well as being a holiday weekend, the San Bernadino tunnel in southeast Switzerland was closed on Friday afternoon after a German tourist bus caught fire in the tunnel, leaving two people with minor injuries. It is expected to remain closed over this Pentecost weekend, since the tunnel needs to cool down and be checked for any infrastructure damage.

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Area 47 in Tirol: Non-Stop Action and Adrenaline

Area47 Water AREA Slip'n'slide- Photo courtesy www.AREA47.com . Area47 in Tirol

Tirol’s ultimate adventure park at the entrance of the Ötztal valley, AREA 47, remains at the top of its game going into its ninth season. The park, which is the only one of its kind in the Alps, offer action on water, land and up in the air. Cult sports such as wake-boarding, innovative pro camps and fantastic events make AREA 47 the place to be for fans of the outdoors in summer 2017.



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As soon as AREA 47 opened its doors in May 2010, it was clear there would be no standing still here. The location, named after the 47th degree of latitude, has a passion for innovating. The largest outdoor adventure park in Austria – with close to nine hectares – has been setting benchmarks every year since it’s opening.

Area47 - Ötztal Wake AREA - Photo by Florian Breitenberger. www.AREA47.com- AREA47 in Tirol
Area47 – Ötztal Wake AREA – Photo by Florian Breitenberger. www.AREA47.com

Visionary Hansi Neuer relentlessly pursued his life-defining project of creating a unique adventure paradise. In the first decade of the century, outdoor pioneer Hansi Neuner, the initiator of the project who died in 2015, already had the idea of creating an ‘ultimate outdoor playground’. After years of research across the world into similar top facilities and a lengthy planning and project development phase, Neuner finally got the go-ahead to complete his ambitious project. After construction officially began in August 2009, AREA 47 opened its doors in spring 2010. This was the start of a success story that continues today. The attraction has up to 250,000 visitors each summer.

Cycle Surgery Great January Sale
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